Car-coupling.



T. E. COX.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIGATION FILED Emma, 1913.

IAWMMQ Patented Jan.5,1915.

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lJli lll lFi @TATFZF THOMAS E. COX, 0F JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA, ASSIGN'GR OF DNE-TI-IIRD [E0 BENJAMIN P. WILLIAMS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. I

G'AR-COUPLIN G.

Application filed November 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrIoMAs E. Cox, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in coupler heads and its objects are to make more certain and positive the movement of the lock pin to lock the knuckle in coupling position and to adapt the locking mechanism to positively open the knuckle for coupling and to set the lock for uncoupling heads which are coupled.

My invention embodies the combination with a horizontally swinging knuckle, of a bell crank lever connected at one end to the knuckle and at its other end adapted to cooperate with a vertically movable lock pin both to force the pin to its locked position as the knuckle swings inwardly, and to positively force the knuckle outwardly when the lock pin is raised to set the knuckle for coupling.

One important feature of my invention is the provision of spring means which are compressed as the lever is moved by the coupling movement of the knuckle and which act to snap the lock pin into locked position, thereby making certain and positive the fall of the lock pin without permitting any positive engagement of parts which would be likely to cause breakage under the severe usage to which car couplers are subjected.

Another feature of my invention is the utilization of the bell crank lever as a means for engaging and setting a latch on the locking pin for holding the latter in position for uncoupling.

Another feature is the manner of mounting the knuckle between blocks detachably fastened on the draw-head so that breakage across the pin hole for the pivot pin that holds the knuckle will not necessitate the abandonment of the draw-head but only the replacement of new blocks which can be quickly done.

My invention further comprises the de tails of construction and arrangement of parts, which in their preferred embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915..

Serial No. 800,698.

bar and coupler head equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section through Fig. 1 on the line wa: of Fig. 3, the knuckle being shown in open position. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssectional view taken on the line yy of Fig. 2. Fig.

at is a front elevation of the coupler with the knuckle in locked position, the parts being broken away to show the operating lock parts in front elevation. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View through the locking pin, and Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the novel manner for detachment of the knuckle to the coupler head. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view showing a cross-section of the lock pin and part of the coupler head taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout the drawings.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention the draw-bar 1 is provided with a coupler head 2 comprising at one side a curved arm 3, and at the other side an offset portion a which is recessed to provide a horizontally disposed chamber 5 that opens through the front face of the coupler head. The top and bottom faces of the offset portion 4: are provided with oppositely disposed, T-shaped, countersunk seats 6 which are adapted each to receive the T-shaped shank 7 of a knuckle holding block 8. The outer ends of these blocks are perforated and project beyond the extension 1 in position to receive the pin 9 by means of which a horizontally swinging knuckle 10 is piv otally connected to the coupler head. A. bolt 11 fastens the blocks 8 in their seats, holding them interlocked in rigid spaced relationship on the coupler head. The knuckle is provided with a tail-wing 12, the upper face of which slopes downwardly from the center of the pivot portion of the knuckle to the end of the tail-wing, which inclined face is designated 13 in Fig. 3. The tail-wing in the plan view curves forward slightly and is provided with a square vertical abutment face 1 1 and a rearwardly projected hook member 15, which has its upper face inclined in the same plane with the knuckle. The rear face of the tail-wing is recessed to provide a socket 16 which receives the inner end of a curved bar 17, this bar being pivotally connected to the pin 18, which passes vertically through the tailwing and socket and is held fast therein byllO a cotter pin that is disposed in a countersunk seat 20 in the under face of the tail-wing. The rear curved edge of the bar 17 bears against a roller 19, which is journaled on a pin 21 which traverses the recess 5 in the draw-head near the side thereof and has its head seated in a countersunk opening in seat 6. The side wall of the coupler head has an opening 22 through which the bar 17 projects. The lower end of a bell crank lever 23 is pivoted to the outer bifurcated end of the bar 17 by a pin 24. The lever is journaled on a bracket 25 which is integral with or suitably fastened to the upper block 7. The upper end of the lever extends laterally and rearwardly over the draw-head, being bent slightly at an intermediate point so that its upper end will pass freely through an elongated vertical slot 26 in the upper end 27 of the vertically movable locking pin 28. The body of the pin is provided with an integral rear guide shoulder and projection 29 which projects below the bottom of the pin as shown clearly in Fig. 5. The body of the pin has squared side faces, one of which is adapted to engage and bear against the fiat face 30 forming the lower right hand side wall of the recess 5 of the head, and the other side to engage, when in locked or lowered position, the abutment face 1 1 on the tail-wing, which latter face is set so that when the knuckle is in locked position it will abut flatly against the locking pin. The upper body portion of the pin is provided with a vertical chamber 31 disposed substantially in the transverse center of the pin and adapted to receive a coiled spring 32 which surroundsapin 33 having at its upper end a head which engages the top of the spring 32 and which is free to move vertically in the chamber 31. A vertical slot 3% in the side wall of the pin gives access to the chamber 31 and extends almost to the top of the body portion of the pin. This slot faces toward the bell crank lever 23. The pin 33 is, preferably, long enough to project through alining openings provided therefor in the bottoms of chamber 31 and recess 5 in the draw-head. The guide 29 in like manner projects through an opening in the bottom of the draw-head and, with the main body portion of the pin, lit-s slidingly in an opening provided therefor in the top of the draw-head. These several openings are made large enough for the pin and guide to slide freely therein. The bell crank lever 23 has pivotally suspended therefrom a counterweighted trip pin 35 which has an intermediate point and a finger 36 and a lower end which is curved in a direction away from the finger 3G. The trip in han s in a vertical slot 37 arovided for it in the head and which opens into the recess 5 over a wedged shaped guide 38 (Fig. 4) which is preferably molded integral with the inner rear wall of the recess 5 in the draw-head. A counterweight 39 on the trip pin tends to swing its finger 36 through the slot 34 in the locking pin. 28 and into position above the head of pin 33 which it will depress as the lever swings down until its lower curved end engages the wedge 38 and is deflected thereby to swing the trip pin to the left, Fig. 3, until its linger is disengaged from the pin 33 and slot 34; as seen in Fi g. :l:.

The lock set mechanism comprises a catch member 40 pivoted medially at the lower end of the slot 26 and disposed normally at an incline with its upper end adjacent to the lever 23 and provided with an antifriction roller l1. A narrow set pin 42 is connected to the lower end of -10 and normally hangs vertically in a slot 13 in the outer side face of the lock pin 28. This slot stands oppo site a similarly shaped slot 41 in the drawhead commencing immediately above the face 30 thereof and when the pin is raised to clear face 14 on the knuckle, the roller all will strike the lever 23 and rock the member 40 to swing the pin outwardly into slot at and in position to rest on the bottom wall thereof, in which position it will support the lock pin 28 so the tail-wing is free to swing under the lock pin so that the head can uncouple. The top of lock pin 28 has a hole 45 in which a chain 46 or link is connected and this chain is connected to a lifting lever (not shown) of any ordinary construction so that the pin can be raised thereby either to set it, as described for uncoupling, or, to open out the knuckle into coupling position which is accomplished by the lever 23 which is engaged by the lock pin when the latter has cleared face 14', and acts to force arm 17 inwardly and swing the knuckle outwardly.

In operation, an incoming head forces the knuckle and its tail-wing to swing inwardly. The pin 28 rests on the inclined top face 12 of the extension 15 and rides down it as the tail-wing swings in. At the same time, the arm 17 acts to force the lower end of level- 23 outwardly which swings its upper end downwardly in slot 34, and by pin 35 and finger 36 forces pin 33 downwardly and compresses spring 32, this compression increasing as the tail-wing continues its inward travel and reaching its maximum when the tail-wing moves from under the lock pin, so that the spring positively and instantaneously snaps the lock pin into its lowered position. The lower end of trip pin 31 strikes its guide 38 as it approaches its extreme lowered position and is swung thereby out of position to engage the pin or any part thereof, but it does not release the spring until after the latter has snapped the lock pin into closed position. The trip pin is thus held clear of the lock pin while the coupler is coupled and therefore leaves the lock pin free to be raised and set, in the manner described, for uncoupling. When the lockpin is drawn up to unlock the knuckle, the trip pin will pass up through the slot 37 until its finger 36 clears the beveled top Wall 47 (Fig. 5) of the lock pin, after which, its lower end being above the guide 38, the counterweight 39 will swing its finger into position above the spring as shown in Fig. 4:. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the lock pin 28 has an edge which will ride on the tail-wing until the latter swings from under it, the pin 33 being set far enough back to clear the knuckle.

Various details of my invention can be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention, so, without specifically limiting myself to the construction shown, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is a 1. In a car coupler, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle pivoted thereto and adapted to swing into the recess, a locking member slidably mounted in the head and adapted to ride on the knuckle until it assumes coupled position then to drop in front of it to lock it, and mechanism to transmit motion from the knuckle to the locking member and vice-versa, said mechanism being adapted to rigidly transmit motion from the locking member to the knuckle to open the latter, and comprising a resilient means to transmit motion from the knuckle to said member to force the latter to its locked position, substantially as described.

2. In a car coupler, a horizontally swinging knuckle having a tail-wing, a recessed draw-head to which the knuckle is pivoted and into which said tail-wing swings, a locking member slidably mounted in said head and adapted to rest on the tail-wing until the knuckle assumes its coupled position when it drops and blocks the uncoupling movement of the tail-wing, and mechanism interposed between the lmuckle and locking member and adapted to transmit movement rigidly from the member to the knuckle for the purposes described, and means to interpose a resilient motion-transmission member in said mechanism whentransmitting motion from the knuckle to the-lock member to force it into locked positiem.

3. In a coupler, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to the draw-head and having a tail-wing which swings into said recess, a substantially vertically movable locking pin which projects into said recess and is supported on said tail-wing when the latter is in uncoupled position and which is adapted to drop behind and block the tailwing as the knuckle swings to couple, a spring carried by said pin, lever mechanism actuated by the knuckle and adapted to compress said spring as the knuckle approaches coupled position, said spring be ing maintained under compression until head and adapted to engage said tail-Wing when in uncoupled position and to be moved into position to lock the tail-wing in coupled position, an angled leverage means pivotally mounted on the draw-head and connected below to the inner end of the tail-wing and above adapted to be engaged by said lock pin when moved to unlock the knuckle, a spring carried by the lock pin, a trip pin carried by the leverage means and adapted to engage and compress said spring when the incoming tail-wing actuates said leverage means, and means to move said trip pin to disengage it from said spring after the lock pin has been forced into locking position.

5. In combination, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to said head and having a tail-wing which swings into the recess therein, a lock pin vertically movably mounted in the head and adapted to rest on said tail-wing when in uncoupled position and to drop into position to lock the tail-wing in coupled position, an angled lever pivotally mounted on the draw-head and connected below to the inner end of the tail-wing and above adapted to be engaged by said lock pin when raised to unlock the knuckle, a coiled spring mounted in a chamber in the pin, which chamber has a slot opening toward said lever, a trip pin carried by the lever and having a finger adapted to project into the spring chamber above the spring to compress the latter as the upper end of the lever is forced downwardly by the incoming movement of the tail-wing, means to guide the finger to release the spring after the lock pin has been forced thereby into its locked position, and means to cause the finger to assume operating position above the spring when the pin is raised, substantially as described.

6. In a car coupler, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle having a tail-wing which swings into said recess, a vertically movable lock pin in the head which rests upon and drops behind the tail-wing to lock it in coupled position, lever connections from the tailwing which comprise a member pivoted 011 top of the draw-head and adapted to be forced downwardly as the tail-wing swings inwardly, a rocking member pivotally connected to the lock pin and adapted to engage and be rocked by said pivoted member when the lock pin is raised to unlock the tail-wing, and a seat in the draw-head which said pivoted member engages, when rocked by said pivoted member on the draw-head, and supports the lock pin in position for permitting the knuckle to uncouple, substantially as described.

7. In a coupling of the Janney type, a vertically movable lock pin having an upper slotted end which projects above the drawhead, a knuckle, a bell crank lever pivoted to the draw-head and having its upper end inserted in said slot in the top of the lock member, a lock set pin pivoted at the lower end of said slot, and a seat in the draw-head which said set pin engages when it strikes and is moved by engagement with said bell crank lever, said lock set pin holding the lock member clearof engagement with the knuckle, substantially as described.

8. In a coupling of the Janney type comprising a recessed draw-head and a knuckle having a tail-wing which swings into said recess, an arm connected to the tail-wing, a bell crank lever mounted on the draw-head and having its lower end connected to said arm, a vertically movable lock pin having its upper end slotted to receive the upper end of the bell crank lever, a counterweighted trip pin suspended from the upper end of the lever, spring means engaged by said trip pin as it is lowered for applying spring pressure to said lock pin to force it to its locked position, guide means to dis engage said trip pin froln the spring means to release the lock pin for free vertical movement while the knuckle is in coupled position, and a lock set pin carried by said lock pin and adapted by engagement with said lever when the lock pin is raised to set it for uncoupling, substantially as described.

9. In a coupling of the Janney type having a recessed draw-head and a knuckle pivoted thereto and having a tail-wing which swings into said recess, a bell crank lever mounted on the outside of the drawv head to one side thereof, a locking pin having its upper end slotted, means to connect the lower end of said lever to the tail-wing of the knuckle while the upper end thereof engages in said slot -in the lock pin, a counterweighted trip pin suspended from said lever adjacent to the lock pin, said head having a slot to receive said pin, a guide 38 to deflect the pin away from the lock pin when in its lowered position, and a coiled spring in the lock pin which is engaged above by said trip pin and compressed thereby during the major part of the down travel of said trip pin, said lock pin being adapted to rest on and drop behind the tailwing when the latter assumes coupled position to lock it, substantially as described.

10. In combination, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to said head and having a tail-wing which swings into the recess therein, a lock pin movably mounted in the head and adapted to engage said tail-wing when in uncoupled position and to be moved into position to lock the tail-wing in coupled position, an angled leverage means pivotally mounted on the draw-head and adapted below to be engaged by the inner end of the tail-wing and above to be engaged by said lock pin when moved to unlock the knuckle, a spring which engages the lock pin, a trip pin carried by the leverage means and adapted to engage and compress said spring when the incoming tail-wing actuates said leverage means, and means to move said trip pin to disengage it from said spring after the lock pin has been forced into locked position.

11. In combination, a recessed draw-head, a knuckle having a tail-wing adapted to swing into the draw-head recess, a locking pin movably mounted in the head and adapted to be moved into position to lock the knuckle in coupled position, leverage means having one end disposed in the path of and adapted to move and be moved by the tail-wing and having the other end disposed in the path of and adapted to move and be moved by the locking pin, there being lost-motion connection between said leverage means and pin, and means to actuate the pin by said leverage means to move it to its locked position, said means comprising a spring and devices to temporarily compress said spring between the leverage means and pin to absorb the lost-motion between the leverage means and pin and -to urge the pin to its locked position, substantially as described.

12. In a car coupler, the combination with a knuckle provided with a tail-piece, of a locking pin having a spring arranged in the recess, a lever having its upper end disposed above the locking pin, a movable element carried by the lever and adapted to compress the spring as it is moved downwardly, means to automatically disengage said movable element from the locking pin and spring, a lock set carried by the pin in position to engage said lever when the pin is raised, and a draw-l1ead having a projection which said lock set engages when actuated by the lever, said lever being adapted to be actuated by the coupling movement of the tail-wing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS E. COX.

lVitnesses:

R. D. JoHNs'roN, Jr., BENJ. P. lVILLIAMs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

